Martin Compston hints at final series of Line Of Duty

The actor, who plays anti-corruption officer Steve Arnott, said he is “excited” for the show to “go out on a high”.

Compston spoke to the Press Association as he promoted his new Paramount+ thriller series The Revenge Club, which follows a divorce support club plotting revenge.

But it also came after the BBC confirmed Line Of Duty is set to return.

Martin Compston hints at new series of Line Of Duty

Compston said he had been ordered to stay tight-lipped about what the new series will bring – but he said that is part of the allure.

“I don’t think people want to know,” he said.

“It’s kind of weird. People always go, ‘Is it this?’ and then say ‘Don’t tell me. Don’t tell me’.

“I think people love the surprises and that’s one of the big things about the show, the twists and turns is what makes it appealing.

“I definitely think The Revenge Club is so, so bingeable, and it’s right that this drops all at one time, because you can blast through it.

“But I think Line Of Duty is one of the kind of last staples of a show where you leave it the week in between.

“I don’t think we’ll ever drop all the episodes because it is that water cooler thing where people talk about our work during the week, come up with theories and build the suspense.

“I think the secrecy is a big part of it.”

The Greenock-born actor said it was more than the storyline that drew him back to the programme.

He said: “I think you need distance from it. The other [series] went so mental that we kind of all needed a break from it for a bit, but I think we’re pretty sure we had one more in us.

“From a selfish point of view, we’re all really close, we’re all really good pals, so we genuinely have a really good time working together.

“We’ve been lucky the last few times, with The Revenge Club and stuff because you’ve got such an amazing team and it’s such a joy to film it.

“But Line Of Duty can ruin it for other jobs because you’re just with your pals all the time.”